Manufacture of shoes



Aug. 1, 1939- H. c. KlNG .558

MANUFACTURE OF snoss 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 23, 1936 Aug. 1, 1939. H. c. KING 2,167,658

MANUFACTURE OF SHOES Filed Nov. 23, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 mgn. Z4

I I 1/ I ll 1/, III Lid Aug. 1, 1939. H. c. KING 2,167,658

MANUFACTURE OF SHOES Filed Nov. 23, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet I5 Patented Aug. 1, 1939 MANUFACTURE OF SHOES Harry 0. King, Quincy, Mass., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. 1., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 23, 1938, Serial No. 112,229

Claims.

This invention relates to shoes and the manuiacture thereof and is illustrated herein with reference to shoes having bottom portions of the so-called skeleton insole, complemental outsole construction.

A shoe of the type referred to is provided with a skeleton insole having an opening in its forepart surrounded by a randand an outsole having a projection or "island on its fo-repart complemental to the opening in the insole. It is customary in making these shoes to form the insoleoutsole combination from a single sole blank of relatively high .grade' leather and of a thickness equal to the combined thicknesses oi the desired insole and outsole. Thick sole leather of this superior quality cannot always be readily obtained and, even when available, involves considerable expense.

Moreover, although shoes of this complemental insole-outsole construction are more flexible than those of the conventional two-sole construction, they are not provided with any means for cushioning the foot such, for example, as the felt or composition filler material ordinarily used in a two-sole shoe. This is due to the fact that the opening in the forepart of the insole is practically filled by the complemental projection on the outsole and there is no space left for the introduction of a. cushion or pad in the forepart of the shoe. If a piece of soft cushioning material were applied to the inner surface of the shoe bottom after the shoe were completed, the desired result would not be obtained because the shoe would then be too tight for the foot and the bottom portion of the shoe would be practically as thick as a usual two-sole construction and commensurably less flexible than the complemental insole-outsole type of shoe.

Objects of this invention are to provide improved methods of making shoes and sole members for shoes of the skeleton insole. complemental outsole construction the practice of which will effect a substantial saving in cost of materials and will provide a cushion for the foot in this type of shoe.

To the attainment of these objects the invention provides an improved method which consists in producing a laminated sole blank or block sole in which material suitable for cushioning the foot is incorporated. In this way the weight or thickness required for producing a complemental insole-outsole combination is provided without the necessity of utilizing a thick blank of high quality sole leather. Moreover, the cushioning material becomes a part of the insole-outsole construction before it is embodied in a shoe.

As herein illustrated, the cushioning material may comprise a relatively thick layer of soft yieldable material such, for example, as cork, ielt, rubber or composition material. This material, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, is secured between two layers of sole material, such, for example, as leather, and the skeleton insole, complemental outsole combination is produced by separating the laminated blank on the plane of jointure or attachment between the lower sole blank and the layer of yieldable material except at the forepart of the blank at which portion the skeleton insole, complemental outsole construction is produced. The complemental insole-outsole combination may then be embodied in a shoe in which the bottom portion will be oi the proper thickness and will have a layer of yieldable material incorporated therein for cushioning the foot.

In accordance with another aspect of the method, the laminated sole blank may be separated by splitting below the plane of jointure between the lower blank and the yieldable layer to provide a thin facing of sole material, such as leather, on the lower side of the yieldable layer which, after splitting, forms part of the skeleton insole, this facing serving as a reinforcement for the yieldable material when the insole is mounted on a last and providing a surface more suitable than that on the yieldable material against which, in a stitched shoe, the pull or strain of the sole attaching stitches may be exerted.

In another aspect the invention provides for the attachment of a piece of yieldable material of predetermined size and shape between the foreparts of an insole and an outsole of proper thicknesses and for cutting through the insole and the yieldable material at said iorepart to separate from the joined members a single ply insole having an opening in a restricted intramarginal area at its forepart and an outsole having a projection on its iorepart conforming in outline to the opening in the insole and being equal in thickness to the combined thicknesses of the insole and the yieldable material. In constructing a shoe, in accordance with this aspect of the invention, the insole may be mounted on a flatbottomed last, the upper lasted thereto and the outsole applied in any suitable manner. The thickness of the projection on the outsole compensates for the thickness of the overlasted upper materials, thereby producing a flat-bottomed shoe having a complemental insole-outsole com- ,bination in the forepart of which is incorporated a yieldable support for cushioning the foot.

The method, as herein illustrated, also includes the feature of providing left insole-outsole combinations and right insole-outsole combinations in which each insole comprises a layer of yieldable material having a facing of sole material such as leather on its lower surface only, inverting both insoles and utilizing the left insole with the right outsole and vice versa in constructing the shoes, thereby providing upon the insole of each shoe a facing of leather at the side which is directed toward the foot so that it will be unnecessary to apply sock linings to the shoes.

In its article aspect the invention provides an improved shoe embodying the desirable flexible features of shoes of the so-called skeletonized insole, complemental outsole type and having a sole construction in which is incorporated a layer of yieldable material for cushioning the foot.

With the above and other objects and features in view the invention will now be described in connection with the accompanying drawings and thereafter pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a block sole blank on which is indicated by a dotted line the plane in which the blank is to be split to form insole and outsole layers;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 1 after the sole blank has been split and a layer of yieldable material has been secured between the sole layers, there being indicated in dotted lines on the insole layer the final shapes of the peripheries of the insole and outsole;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a portion of the united sole members being operated upon by a double knife sole rounding machine;

Fig. 4 is an edge elevational view of the laminated sold blank after the rounding operation, there being indicated in broken lines in this figure two planes along which the blank may be alternatively split to form skeleton insole, complemental outsole combinations;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the two portions of the sole blank of Fig. 4 after it has been split in the plane of jointure between the lower outsole member and the yieldable layer to form a skeleton insole with an opening in its forepart and an outsole with a projection on its forepart complemental to said opening;

Fig. 6 is a perspective of the insole of Fig. 5 with a portion broken away to show the angle of the cut forming the opening in the forepart;

Fig. 'l is a perspective view of the outsole of Fig. 5 with a portion broken away to show the shape of the projection on its forepart;

Fig.8 is a fragmentary sectional view of a shoe incorporating the insole-outsole construction of Fig. 5;

Fig. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view of the sole blank of Fig. 4 separated on the plane indicated by the lower broken line in Fig. 4, which is below the plane of jointure between the outsole member and the yieldable layer;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view of a shoe incorporating the insole-outsole combination of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a modification of the invention illustrating an insole and an outsole with a piece of yieldable material interposed between them at the intramarginal portions of their foreparts;

Fig. 12 is a longitudinal sectional view of the united sole members of Fig. 11 with a die cutting through the insole and the piece of yieldable material;

Fig. 13 is a longitudinal sectional view of the insole and outsole of Fig. 11 after they have been separated from each other as shown in Fig. 12;

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary sectional view of the lower portion of a shoe incorporating the insoleoutsole construction of Fig. 13;

Fig. 15 is a perspective view of a block sole blank embodying a further modified construction in which a layer of yieldable material is secured to the upper face of an outsole blank;

Fig. 16 is an edge elevation of the blank of Fig. 15, having indicated thereon in broken lines the position of the out which is to separate the blank into complemental insole and outsole members:

Fig. 17 is a longitudinal sectional view of the insole and outsole members formed by separating the sole blank on the line indicated in Fig. 16; and

Fig. 18 is a fragmentary sectional view of the lower portion of a shoe in which the outsole member of Fig. 17 is incorporated with the inverted insole member for the foot opposite that to which the sole members of Fig. 17 correspond.

In practising the method of making flexible cushioned shoes, as herein exemplified, a block sole blank 20, preferably of a superior quality of leather and about six and one-half irons thick, is split in a plane substantially parallel to its inner and outer surfaces on any well-known splitting machine to produce what may for convenience be called an insole blank 22 (Fig. 2) approximately one and one-half irons thick, and an outsole blank 24 approximately five irons thick, the plane of this split being indicated in Fig. 1 by the dotted line 26. The words inner and outer" as used hereinafter in the specification and claims with reference to particular surfaces of the sole members or to layers of material forming these members are to be understood as meaning, respectively, the surface or layer next to the foot in a shoe and the surface or layer farthest from the foot in a shoe.

The split layers 22, 24 of the sole blank 20 are then secured together again with a layer 28 (Fig. 2) of relatively yieldable material interposed between them, the three layers being secured to each other by latex or other cement of that nature, thereby forming a laminated sole blank 30. The layer 28 of yieldable material is preferably about three irons thick and may be composed of cork, which is supplied commercially in layers or sheets, or it may be composed of felt, rubber, or various compositions which are relatively soft and yieldable and will serve as cushioning material. It will be noted that the unitary or laminated sole blank 30 is about nine or nine and one-half irons thick which is approximately the thickness of the outsole in shoes of the McKay or Goodyear welt type.

The laminated sole blank 30 is next shaped to conform in outline to a conventional sole, hereinillustrated as a left sole, and a vertical cut is simultaneously made through the upper layers 22 and 28 which conforms in outline to an insole suitable for use with the outsole, this operation being preferably but not necessarily performed on a so-called double knife sole rounding machine such, for example, as that disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 2,057,665, granted October 20, 1936, on an application filed in the name of Frederic E. Bertrand. As disclosed in the patent referred to, the sole rounding machine is provided with an upper knife 32 (Figs. 2 and 3) adapted to form a vertical cut or slit through the upper layers If, 2! of the sole blank on a line M (Fig. 2) which conforms in size and shape to the required insole. A lower knife II is provided for rounding the entire blank simultaneously with the cutting of theinsole slit to the outline of the required outsole, this outline being indicated by the dotted line 38 in Fig. 2. The unitary sole blank 30 is clamped between sole patterns ll, 41 during the rounding operation. these patterns conforming, respectively, to the desired shapes of the insole and outsole, as shown in Fig. 3, and forming guides for the cutting knives 32, I6. The operation of rounding the sole blank to the shape of the required outsole and cutting a slit through the upper layers which conforms in shape to the insole is described more fully in Letters Patent of the United States No. 2,144,285, granted January l'l, 1939, on an application filed in the name of William D. Thomas.

The sole blank is now split lengthwise in a plane substantially parallel to its inner and outer surfaces, except in a restricted area at the forepart, as will be later explained, to form a skeleton insole, complemental outsole combination which forms part of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 4, the laminated blank ID may be split on a line H coinciding with the plane of jointure or adhesion between the yieldable layer 28 and the outsole member 2, except in the central portion of the forepart, to produce an insole-outsole combination 8, I! (Fig. in which the outsole member, except at the forepart, is composed entirely of the outsole layer 24 and the insole member is composed of the thin inner layer of sole material 22 overlying the thicker outer layer of soft, yieldable material 28.

In order to split the unitary sole blank to produce a skeleton insole with an opening in its forepart and a complemental outsole with a projection on its forepart complemental to the opening, the splitting operation is preferably performed with the aid of a machine of the general type described in United States Letters Patent No. 2,088,745 granted August 3, 1937, on an application flled in the name of C. E. Hood. This therein, the sole blank is distorted so that the knife cuts diagonally through the upper layers and through the outer surface of the top layer forming the insole, thereby producing a skeleton insole such as that indicated by the numeral 48 in Figs. 5 and 6, and a complemental outsole such as that indicated by the numeral 48 in Figs. 5 and '1.

' As illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. the insole 40 is provided at its forepart with an opening or hole 54 the edge of which diverges diagonally from the upper surface of the insole to its lower surface. The outsole 48 has a projection 56 on its forepart composed of a layer 28' of the yieldable material 28 and a relatively thin inner layer 22' of the sole material removed from the insole layer 22. This projection is complemental to the opening 54 in the insole so that its edge portion is inclined at the same angle as that of the opening. Figs. 6 and 7 indicate how the insole and outsole will appear in perspective. The operationof the splitting machine is more fully explained in the Thomas patent previously referred to. x

The insole 48 is now located on the bottom of a last (not shown) in the usual manner and a shoe upper 88 (Fig. 8) is secured in lasted relation to the marginal portion of the insole, including the beveled rand at its forepart, in any usual or convenient manner. For example, the upper may, if desired, be lasted to the insole by cement It, as shown in Fig. 8, or it may be secured in lasted relation thereto by metallic fastenings, such as staples, which curve into the material of the insole without passing completely therethrough. After the upper 58 is secured in lasted position, the outsole N is applied to the shoe bottom in the usual manner either by cement or by through-and-through stitches which pass through the material of the outsole, the shoe upper, and the two layers of material form ing the insole. The projection 56 on the outsole completely fills in the depression formed by the opening 5| in the insole and thus produces a smooth interior on the shoe bottom. Moreover, the relatively thick layer of soft yieldable material 28 provides an excellent cushion over the entire shoe bottom for supporting the foot. In this way a shoe having the flexible features characteristic of shoes of the combination insoleoutsole type is produced which, in addition to being more flexible than shoes of the usual twosole construction, is provided with a cushion for supporting the foot. In other words, shoes made in accordance with the present invention comblue the advantageous features of the complemental insole-outsole construction with cushioning features which have heretofore been confined to shoes of the two-sole type in which a filler piece of felt or similar material has been inserted at the forepart to fill in the space between the over-lasted portions of the shoe upper and incidentally to provide a cushion for the foot.

As indicated above, the laminated sole blank III of Fig. 4 may, if desired, be split on a plane below the plane of jointure or adhesion between the lower outsole layer 2! and the layer of yieldable material 18. This plane is indicated in Fig. 4 by the reference numeral 45, and the insole and outsole members produced by splitting the blank in this lower plane are illustrated in Fig. 9 and designated, respectively, by the reference numerals ill, 62. It will be observed in Fig. 9 that the skeleton insole Oil is provided with an opening ii in its forepart and is composed of an upper layer of leather or other sole material 22, an intermediate layer of soft yieldable material 28, and a relatively thin layer or facing 24' composed of a portion of the lower layer 24 of the material forming the outsole member 62. Consequently, the layer of soft yieldable material 28 is covered on both sides with leather or other sole material. The outsole member 62 is slightly thinner throughout than the outsole member 48 of Figs. 5 and 7 due to the thin layer or skiving of the outsole material adhering to the insole and the projection on the forepart of the outsole, indicated in Fig. 9 by the numeral 84, comprises a lower or base portion integral with the outsole layer 24 and to which is cemented an intermediate layer of the yieldable material 28 and a. relatively thin top layer 22' of insole material 2'4.

In constructing the shoe -with the insole-outsole combination of Fig. 9, a shoe upper 66 (Fig.

is secured in lasted position preferably by cement to the marginal portion of the i nsole including the rand portion surrounding the opening at the forepart of the insole and which portion, it will be noted, has a thin lower facing 24' of the leather or other material which forms the body 24 of the outsole 82. The projection 64 on the outsole completely fills the opening H in the forepart of the insole and thus produces a smooth interior on the shoe bottom and a somewhat convex shape on the outer surface of the outsole, which surface, it will be seen, has no hollow or depression opposite the opening in the insole. The outsole 82 is preferably attached to the shoe bottom by cement although it may, by removing the last, be attached by throughand-through stitches which pass through the outsole, upper and the various layers of the insole and which will pull against the inner leather layer 22 covering the yieldable cushioning material 28. Since shoes of this type are usually made on lasts having more or less convex bottom surfaces, and since the overlasted marginal portions of the uppers are normally skived or roughed to a relatively thin edge for receiving cement, the outer surface of the outsoles, as stated above, will be somewhat convex but they will be less convex than the bottom of the lasts upon which they were made.

If it should be desired to make a flat bottomed shoe on a flat bottomed last the present invention provides, as a modification, a method which permits this result to be accomplished in a simple and economical manner which effects a substantial saving in the cost of materials and eliminates some of the operations described above. This modification of the method is illustrated in Figs. 11 to 14, inclusive, and comprises providing an insole member 88 of the proper shape and dimensions, and an outsole member 18 somewhat larger in outline than the insole, these members being composed of leather or other material suitable for forming a shoe bottom. The insole member 88 and the outsole member I8 are secured by cement 12 (Fig. 12) to the opposite surfaces of a piece of soft yieldable material M such as cork, felt, rubber, or a composition of yieldable material which extends over only the interior or intramarginal portions of the foreparts of these sole members, as shown in Fig. 11. The cement I2 is preferably applied to the yieldable member II in such a manner that it does not extend quite out to the edge of either surface thereof and the three members are cemented together as described to form a unitary sole member. A cutting die 18 of a shape conforming generally to the contour of the yieldable piece 18 but somewhat smaller, is now utilized to separate the insole member 88 from the unitary member. The cutting edge of the die 18 passes through the material of the insole member 68 and the cushioning material II but does not pass into the material of the outsole member 18, thereby separating from the assembled layers a completed insole I8 (Fig. 13) having an opening or hole 88 in its forepart surrounded by a rand 82 of substantially uniform thickness, the edges of the opening 88 being perpendicular to the inner and outer surfaces of the insole. The completed outsole formed by this operation is indicated in Fig. 13 by the numeral B4 and comprises the original layer of the of the material which was removed from the forepart of the insole member 88 in forming the opening 88 therein. The excess portions of the cushioning material 18 which extend beyond the cutting edge of the die 18 will not be cemented to the completed insole 18 or the completed outsole 84 since the cement did not extend out quite to the edge of the cushioning piece II and these portions may, therefore, be readily removed after the completed sole members have been separated in the manner indicated in Fig. 12.

In constructing a flat bottomed shoe on a flat bottomed last with the insole and outsole construction of this modification, the insole I8 is mounted on a flat bottomed last (not shown) and a shoe upper 88 (Fig. 14) is secured in lasted relation, by cement or otherwise, to the marginal portion of the insole including the rand portion 82, which is of substantially uniform thickness. This operation leaves an opening in the central portion of the forepart of the shoe bottom the depth of which corresponds to the combined thicknesses of the rand 82 and the upper materials 88. The completed outsole 84 is now applied to the shoe bottom in the usual manner either by cement or stitches and the projection on the central portion of its forepart, formed by the upper layer 88 and the yieldable material 14' completely fills in the opening in the forepart of the shoe bottom to produce a substantially even surface on the interior of the shoe bottom and a relatively flat outer or tread surface on the outsole. It will be seen in Fig. 14 that the layer of insole material 86 on the projection on the forepart of the outsole lies substantially in the same plane as the rand portion 82 of the insole in the finished shoe, and the piece of yieldable material 14' is of a thickness that compensates for the thickness of the upper materials 88 and thereby produces a relatively flat bottom on the shoe when constructed on a flat bottom last.

A further modification of the invention is illustrated in Figs. 15 to 18, inclusive, and comprises securing a layer of yieldable or cushioning material 98 such as cork, felt or similar material, to the upper surface of an outsole blank 92 of leather or other sole material, the yieldable material 98 being approximately four irons thick, and the outsole member being from five to five and one-half irons thick. The laminated sole blank is now rounded, as described above, to form a vertical slit 98 (Fig. 16) in the upper portion thereof corresponding in outline to the insole required in the shoe and simultaneously to form an outsole appropriate in shape for the shoe. The vertical slit 8| which defines the shape of the insole preferably terminates slightly below the plane oi adhesion between the yieldable material 98 and the layer of sole material 82. The rounded blank is now split on the plane in which the vertical slit terminates to produce the complemental insole-outsole combination 83, 95 shown in Fig. 17, the insole 83 having an opening 86 in its forepart surrounded by a tapered rand 98, and the outsole 85 having a projection I88 on its forepart conforming in size terial of the outsole and a layer of the yieldable material 90. In constructing a shoe embodying the insole-outsole combination of Fig. 1'7, it is preferable to have the leather facing or covering 92' exposed on the inside of the shoe so that the foot may bear against it and, in a stitched shoe, against which the pull or strain of the sole attaching stitches may be exerted. Accordingly, when insole and outsole combinations have been prepared for both the right and the left shoes, the insole for one shoe may be utilized with the outsole for the opposite shoe, the insole being inverted and applied with its bottom or leather side uppermost to form the inner or foot engaging surface in the, shoe bottom. To be more explicit, the insole of the right shoe may be inverted and utilized with the outsole for the left shoe, and vice versa, thereby exposing the leather facing 92' which was left on the lower surface of the flexible material 90 of the insole when the blank was split. This construction is indicated in Fig. 18, in which the outsole 95 has been attached to the shoe by cement. The shoe upper Hi4 may be secured in lasted relation to the marginal portion of the insole 93, including the rand portion 88, by cement or otherwise, as desired, and the outsole 95 is applied to the shoe bottom so that the projection Illli thereon fills the opening in the central portion of the forepart of the insole. It will be noted that the central or intramarginal portion of the forepart of the shoe bottom in this construction will be composed of the layer 01 cushioning or yieldable material 90 but this is not a disadvantage and may, if desired, be covered with a usual thin slip sole (not shown) which may be secured to the inner surface of the shoe bottom in any usual or convenient manner.

In the practise of the present method of making shoes and its modifications, shoes of the socalled complemental insole-outsole type may be constructed which include all the advantages of flexibility characteristic of this type of shoe and, in addition, provide a bottom on the shoe which is relatively soft and yieldable for supporting the foot. While the invention is illustrated herein with reference to shoes in which the uppers are secured in overlasted position by cement, and in which the outsoles are attached by cement, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these constructions but may be utilized with equal facility and advantage in the construction of shoes having uppers secured in lasted position against ribs which are integral with, or attached to, the marginal portions of the insoles in accordance, for example, with methods of making shoes disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States Nos. 1,932,545 and 2,017,856, granted, respectively, October 31, 1933, and October 22, 1935, on applications filed in the name of George Goddu. A skeleton insole provided with a rib and adapted for use in connection with the methods of the patents referred to is disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 2,063,186, granted December 8, 1936, upon an application flied in the name of George H. Nichols. As stated above, the complemental outsoles of the present invention may be attached to the shoe bottoms by through-and-through stitches, rather than by cement, if that construction is desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I 'claim as new and desire to secure by' Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. That improvement in methods of making soles for shoes which comprises securing two sole blanks together with a layer of cushioning material between them, thereby providing a unitary blank of laminated formation, and separating the blank into a sole member having an opening in its forepart and another sole member having a forepart projecting complemental to said opening by splitting said blank in a plane located in a predetermined position at one side of the layer of cushioning material; except at the forepart of the blank, the split at said forepart passing through the layer of cushioning material and thereby producing a pair of flexible sole members each of which is composed partly oi material for cushioning the foot.

2. That improvement in methods of making soles for shoes which comprises securing a layer of yieldable material between two layers of less yieldable material, thereby providing a three-ply unitary sole blank of laminated formation, and separating the unitary blank into an insole have ing an opening in its forepart and an outsole having a projection on its forepart complemental to said opening by splitting the blank lengthwise in a plane which is parallel to the plane of the blank except at the forepart of the blank at which portion the split passes completely through the layer of yieldable material and one of the layers of less yieldable material, said insole consisting of a layer of yieldable material underlying a layer of less yieldable material, said outsole consisting oi a layer of said less yieldable material, and said projecting consisting of a layer of yieldable material covered with a layer of said less yieldable material.

3. That improvement in methods of making soles which comprises securing a layer of cushioning material -between two layers of less yieldable material, and separating the unitary member thus formed by splitting it lengthwise parallel to its own plane at one side of the layer of cushioning material except at the forepart of the member at which portion it is split diagonally through the cushioning layer and one of the less yieldable layers to provide an insole having an opening in its forepart and an outsole with a projection on its forepart complemental to said opening, said projecting including a layer of cushioning material covered with a layer of less yieldable material.

4. That improvement in methods of making soles which comprises securing two sole blanks of relatively unyielding material of different thicknesses and a layer of yielding material together to form a laminated sole blank of a thickness appropriate for forming the bottom portion of a shoe, and splitting the laminated blank lengthwise in its own plane through one of the sole blanks of unyielding material except at the forepart of the laminated blank at which portion it is split diagonally completely through the yielding layer of material and the other unyielding layer to form an insole having an opening in its forepart and an outsole having a projection on its forepart complemental to said opening, thereby producing a pair of sole members for use in a flexible shoe, said members having a cushion embodied therein for supporting the foot.

5. That improvement in methods of making soles which comprises securing sole blanks of relatively unyieldingmaterial to the opposite surfaces of a layer of yielding material, thereby producing a unitary sole memberhaving unyielding inner and outer layers and a yielding middle layer, and splitting the unitary sole member thus formed lengthwise in a plane parallel to the plane oi said member but not passing through the yielding middle layer except at the i'orepart of the member at which portion the split passes diagonally through the yielding middle layer and the unyielding inner layer to produce an insole having an opening in its forepart and an outsole having a projection on its forepart complemental to said opening, thereby producing flexible insole and outsole members in both of which is embodied a yielding cushion for the foot, said cushion being covered on the inner surfaces of the insole and outsole by a layer of unyielding material.

6. That improvement in methods of making soles for shoes which comprises separating a sole blank into two continuous layers which differ from each other in thickness, securing said layers together again with a layer of yieldable material between them, the yieldable layer differing in thickness from both of said continuous layers, and splitting the laminated member thus formed to produce an insole having an opening in its forepart surrounded by a rand and an outsole having a projection on its forepart complemental to said opening, said insole and outsole when assembled together providing a cushion that will extend over an entire shoe bottom.

7. That improvement in methods of making soles for shoes which comprises splitting a sole blank in a plane substantially parallel to its inher and outer surfaces to form insole and outsole members which differ from each other in thickness, cementing each of said members to an opposite surface of a layer of yieldable material, said yieldable material extending over at least the central portion of the foreparts of said members, and separating the joined members again to form an insole having an opening in its forepart and an outsole having a projection on its forepart complemental to said opening, said projection including a lower layer of the yieldable material and an upper layer of the material removed from the insole, thereby producing flexible shoe bottom members provided with yieldable material for supporting the foot.

8. That improvement in methods of making soles for shoes which comprises securing two sole blanks of difierent thickness together with a layer of cushioning material therebetween, thereby forming a shoe bottom unit, separating the unit on the plane of jointure between the cushioning material and the thicker sole blank at all portions except a limited area at the forepart, and splitting the unit diagonally through the cushioning material and the thinner sole blank at said limited area, thereby producing a laminated insole having an opening in its forepart and an outsole with a laminated projection thereon complemental to said opening, said insole and said outsole together providing a cushion for the foot covered with the material of a sole blank.

9. That improvement in methods of making soles for shoes which comprises securing a layer of cushioning material between upper and lower sole blanks, splitting the laminated member below the plane of jointure between the cushioning material and the lower sole blank except at a restricted area at the forepart, and splitting the sole member diagonally through the cushioning material and the upper sole blank at said restricted area, thereby forming a three-ply insole having an opening in its forepart and a single-ply outsole having a projection on its forepart complemental to said opening and comprising a layer of cushioning material covered with the material of a sole blank, said insole and outsole together forming a flexible shoe bottom unit provided with a concealed cushion.

10. That improvement in methods of making soles for shoes which comprises cementing a layer or yieldable material between two sole blanks of less yieldable material, splitting the united member below the plane of adhesion between the lower sole blank and the yieldable layer at all portions except a limited area at the iorepart, and splitting said limited area diagonally through the yieldable material and the upper sole blank, thereby producing a laminated insole composed of yieldable material covered on both sides with the less yieldable material and having a hole in its forepart, and simultaneously producing an outsole composed of said less yieldable material with a projection on its forepart complemental to said hole, said projection comprising a layer of yieldable material covered with a layer or less yieldable material.

11. That improvement in methods of making soles for shoes which comprises securing a layer of cork between two sole blanks, splitting the laminated blank thus formed below the plane of jointure between the lower sole blank and the cork atall portions except a limited area at the forepart of the blank, and splitting said limited area diagonally through the cork and the upper sole blank, thereby producing a laminated insole member composed of cork covered on both surfaces with sole blank material and having an opening in its forepart, and producing an outsole member composed of sole blank material with a projection on its forepart complemental to said opening, said projection comprising a layer of cork covered with a layer of sole blank material.

12. That improvement in methods of making shoe parts which comprises splitting a sole blank of relatively unyieldable material to Iorm upper and lower layers of difl'erent thicknesses, cementing said layers to the opposite surfaces of a layer of yieldable material to produce a laminated sole blank, shaping said blank to the outline of a sole and cutting a vertical slit in the upper layers conforming in outline to an insole, said slit terminating in the lower layer, splitting said lower layer in the plane in which the vertical slit terminates at all portions except a restricted area at the iorepart of said layer, and cutting said restricted area from the plane of the split diagonally through the upper surface or the blank, thereby producing an insole having an opening in its forepart surrounded by a tapered rand and an outsole having a projection on its forepart complemental to said opening, said insole having a body portion of yieldable material covered on both sides with the unyieldable material, and said outsole being composed of said unyieldable material with a projection composed of two thicknesses of unyieldable material and a layer or yieldable material therebetween.

13. A shoe having an insole, upper and outsole, said insole having only a marginal rand at its forepart composed of a layer of yieldable material and a layer of less yieldable material, and said outsole comprising a separate layer or material having a projection on its forepart which fits the space surrounded by the rand, said projection being composed of a layer 01' yieldable material and a layer of less yieldable material.

14. A shoe having an insole, upper and outsole, said insole comprising a plurality of layers one of which is soft yieldable material adapted to serve as a cushion for a toot, said insole having a in its intramarginal portion, said outsole comprising a layer of said less yieldable material and having a projection on its torepart which is complemental to the opening in the insole and is composed of the less yieldable material of the outsole overlaid with a layer of said yieldable material and another layer oi the less yieldable material of the insole.

HARRY C. KING.

CERTIFICATE- or, CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,167,658-

August 1, 1959.

HARRY 0. KING.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, first column, line 140, for the word "sold" read --sole--; page 5, second column, lines 7, 55, and 11.8, claims 1, 2, and 5 respectively, for the word "pro- Jecting" read --projeotion--;

page 6, first column, line 14.8, claim8, for

"thickness" read --thicknesses--; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the sanie may conform to the record of the ease in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this l en day of June A. D. 19l 0.

(Seal) Henry Van Arsdale Acting Commissioner of Patents.

in its intramarginal portion, said outsole comprising a layer of said less yieldable material and having a projection on its torepart which is complemental to the opening in the insole and is composed of the less yieldable material of the outsole overlaid with a layer of said yieldable material and another layer oi the less yieldable material of the insole.

HARRY C. KING.

CERTIFICATE- or, CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,167,658-

August 1, 1959.

HARRY 0. KING.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, first column, line 140, for the word "sold" read --sole--; page 5, second column, lines 7, 55, and 11.8, claims 1, 2, and 5 respectively, for the word "pro- Jecting" read --projeotion--;

page 6, first column, line 14.8, claim8, for

"thickness" read --thicknesses--; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the sanie may conform to the record of the ease in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this l en day of June A. D. 19l 0.

(Seal) Henry Van Arsdale Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

